Daniel's Reviews

I had high hopes for Rotting Christ's third album after the huge improvement they showed on the previous album "Non Serviam". I was quite a fan of that record & hoped the band could recapture some of the atmosphere they had created on that record. "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" also had the benefit of a much higher recording/production budget due to the backing of their new label Century Media so things were all looking very promising for the band at that time.  

The first thing I noticed about this release was that the extra money had been well spent in the production department. Everything sounds much cleaner & more powerful. The drums sound like an actual drummer for the first time & the guitars are very full which is in direct contrast to the thinner sound on "Non Serviam". Secondly Rotting Christ's trademark mid-paced tempos had been diluted somewhat. Much of "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" is at a slower & often doomier pace. I'm not sure I enjoy this as much as the drumming really does sound overly simple in this context. I think they really needed to work on making the drumming sound more interesting to keep things from coming across a little flat at times. In fact the whole album does tend to sound a little tame & could do with some more energy. It's missing a bit of the dark, majestic atmosphere that "Non Serviam" achieved & is guilty of dipping into the more light-weight melodic death metal bucket on more than the odd occasion. Quite a few tracks come across as fairly forgettable (see "King Of A Stellar War", "One With The Forest", "The First Field Of The Battle") & it really does come down to the quality & memorability of the riffs. There are some pretty tired old riffs included here amongst the weaker tracks. Unfortunately the improvements in the area of production haven't been matched by a continuation of the dramatic improvement they made in their musicianship from "Thy Mighty Contract" to "Non Serviam" & there's still a little left to be desired in the rhythm guitar performances here. The guitar solos still sound very clunky & are a struggle to listen to at times.   

Still, all is not lost. To their credit Rotting Christ have achieved a more varied album than "Non Serviam" which was considered to be a little one dimensional. The high points of the album are the tracks where the band manages to capture the listener emotionally. Tracks like "A Dynasty From The Ice" & album highlight "The Opposite Bank" achieve this through the use of more mature melodies & memorable song-writing. These moments often remind me of the elegance of early Paradise Lost & Katatonia & leave me humming the melodies for the rest of the day. If only the album was more consistent in that respect. Thankfully the production really does make the whole thing a more enjoyable experience than the song-writing deserves. Overall the inconsistencies of "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" makes it an overrated & inconsistent release.

Rotting Christ's second album is a massive improvement on "Thy Mighty Contract". The musicianship & song-writing has come forwards in leaps & bounds & everything is much more memorable. Their debut hinted at a more melodic side of black metal & this album sees that developed on further but it's important to note that they never descend into over-the-top cheese like many of the more melodic black/death metal bands do. This is quite a mature sound. The production is quite thin but it doesn't take away from the experience much as it's certainly not muddy & you can clearly make out all of the individual instruments. The guitar solos are still pretty poor & I've always thought Rotting Christ would be better off giving them away altogether. There has been a great improvement on the use of keyboards which sounded very amateurish on "Thy Mighty Contract". 

Rotting Christ have always been about atmosphere over brutality & it's no different here. They hold enough back to allow the songs to breath & the tempos don't generally get above mid-pace which can lead to a samey feeling with many of the tracks but the memorability of the melodies saves them from becoming boring. There's really not a poor song here.

I quite enjoyed Inquisition's 2010 album "Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" so I was interested to see how the band had progressed since then. There's not many surprises here. They still sound very much like Immortal for the most part however there are plenty of slow, melodic sections that remind me quite a lot of Dissection's slower moments like "Where Dead Angels Lie". I don't think the slower stuff suits them quite as much as the faster brutal material but it's a nice changeup. It's undisputedly no-frills black metal with little attempt made to break new ground but it's definitely a professional package & is enjoyable throughout.

This was my first listen to Gris & I was initially a little unimpressed. A double album of fairly unintimidating atmospheric black metal featuring live violin with a heavy reliance folk instrumentation doesn't exactly sound like an attractive prospect to someone with my particular tastes. However things started to change for me on my second listen & by the time I'd given this a third run I was more than a little interested in what this Canadian duo have to offer. 

For starters it's not the longest double album in history & is easily endured in one sitting. The musicianship is absolutely top notch for an atmospheric black metal band. The bass lines are easily heard throughout & are always interesting. Plus the drumming shows a willingness to experiment that is quite endearing. I'm not entirely sold on the vocals but they get the job done. Some of the folk sections have a distinct Opeth feeling about them & the use of the violin & cello are not overblown at all. In fact they're used to enhance the atmosphere more than as a centrepiece. Overall I found this release to be an ambitious but ultimately rewarding experience.

Back in the day I would undoubtedly have dished out a five star rating for this album without hesitation however these days my feelings are a little different. The album starts off with “The Dawn of a New Age” which can only be described as Norwegian black metal of the highest level. In fact it may well be the best thing the band has ever done. It shows Satyricon at their most brutal & this is a side of the band that I find really exciting. The rest of the album has plenty more of those moments & this element has always kept “Nemesis Divina” fairly high in my esteem. “Mother North” is a good case in point. It includes plenty of brutality but also a great sense of melody that has given it such a wide appeal. What I’ve tended to forget about this album over time is that it also includes some ideas that didn’t quite work for me. The last section of “Forhekset” is pure folk metal which doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest. I also struggle with the piano section at the end of “Du som hater Gud”. Closing track “Transcendental Requiem of Slaves” seems to have no song structure whatsoever & is clearly just a bunch of leftover ideas they’ve flung together. Regardless of these issues there is some fine black metal going on for the most part. Frost’s drumming & Satyr’s vocals are ferocious throughout & are the clear highlights. A pretty great Norwegian black metal album that has plenty to offer but may be a touch overrated in my opinion.

I hadn't heard this one since the mid-90's & was interested to see how I felt about it these days. It features a fairly progressive & melodic death metal sound mixed with traditional Israeli folk music. That combination spawned some pretty interesting ideas as you can imagine but you can tell they were still developing their sound at this stage. Some of the more melodic death metal sections remind me quite a bit of early Amorphis & the death vocals sound similar to Aaron Stainthorpe's on the first couple of My Dying Bride releases. While it does tend to maintain my interest due to the unusual nature of the sound, I still find "Sahara" to be a bit flat. I think it could do with a little more class in the production & musicianship departments to be honest. Orphaned Land certainly deserve credit for creating an album with a strong point of difference though.

Iron Maiden's "Live!! +one" E.P. was originally only released in Japan in November 1980 but it was later expanded for a Greek release in 1984. It features three live tracks (fan favourites “Sanctuary” & “Phantom Of The Opera” as well as “Drifter” from their as-yet un-recorded follow-up record “Killers”) which were recorded at the Marquee Club on 4th July 1980 plus the studio version of Maiden's cover of Skyhooks' “Women In Uniform” which had only recently received it's own single release. It’s not the best Maiden live recording you’ll find as it does sound a little bootleg-ish at times. Some of the sloppy lead work from Dennis Stratton is also a concern however it’s still early Maiden & they were a powerful & energetic live act at the time so you can easily overlook the flaws. Of the live material I think “Sanctuary” sounds a little better in a live environment so I enjoy it more than the studio version even though I've never been much of a fan of it's punky hard rock feel. “Phantom Of The Opera” misses the production of its studio counterpart which leaves it falling short of the classic album version but the high quality song-writing & composition still make it a highlight regardless. “Drifter” features a long drawn-out outro with a call-&-response audience participation section that mimics The Police’s “Walking On The Moon” & it’s a pretty fun listen even though it could definitely have been trimmed to keep its runtime more palatable. There's no question that it’s a good live song though & this version easily manages to do its studio counterpart justice. The tacked-on studio number “Women In Uniform” is an up-tempo & energetic number that’s been totally Maidenized with galloping rhythms & harmonized guitar lines. It's inclusion seems to be a largely redundant given the song's availability elsewhere however the hooky chorus really digs it’s teeth in & Paul’s vocal performance is excellent. Overall I find "Live!! +one" to be a pretty decent if inessential live release which is generally enjoyable without commanding regular revisits.

1980's "Invasion" album documents the humble beginnings of Manilla Road; a classic American three-piece heavy metal band who formed in Kichita, Kansas in 1977. They’d later go on to become known for a particularly epic brand of metal music however I’m not actually sure that I’d even call “Invasion” a metal record. To my ears it’s more of a combination of the progressive rock of Rush, the classic heavy metal of Judas Priest & the spacey psycheledic rock of Hawkwind.  There’s probably more prog rock than anything else though. Take my personal highlight track "Cat & Mouse" as an decent example of this as it sounds very much like a heavier version of Rush.  The only obvious metal tune is also the weakest track on the album by a fair margin in the heavily overrated “Street Jammer”. The space rock thing really comes into play during the guitar solos which are smothered in delay & other spacey effects & represent one of the best elements of “Invasion” in my opinion. The mix isn't ideal with the vocals sitting too high & the rhythm guitars not given enough clout which leaves them sounding pretty thin. But despite it's primitive nature, I have quite a bit of time for “Invasion”. The longer, spacier & more epic progressive tracks are the most impressive pieces of work but there are also some great metal riffs scattered throughout the tracklisting. It’s definitely worth checking out if you don’t mind a bit of prog rock & early 80’s heavy metal. 

This release shows Meshuggah really flexing their muscles. They are an extremely talented group of musicians performing powerful metal music that is both technical and unique. If you've heard any of the bands backcatalog you will know exactly what to expect from their sound. What you won't expect is the sheer perfection of this performance. There is barely a dud note on the whole CD. Although a little monotonous at times, the vocals are aggressive throughout. The rhythm section is inhumanly tight & the trademark Allan Holdsworth-style guitar solos complement the complex riffs splendidly. The slower crunchier moments are particularly effective in a live environment with the closer "Bleed" being the album highlight. A little more variation wouldn't go astray however I find this to be a very impressive release from one of the elite metal bands in the scene today.

I have mixed feelings about this album. On the positive side, the band rightly decided not to take the one-track epic with programmed drums any further as it had run it's course. Instead they decided to go back to their roots & returned with a sound that is basically a combination of all of their albums to date. On paper that sounds great. In practise it means that "ObZen" doesn't really offer anything that you haven't heard from them many times before. Because of this I find my attention waning at times during this album.   

All of the usual Meshuggah highlights are here (including the crushing bass guitar) & I do find myself loving a lot of this record but I have a little bit of an issue with the production as there seems to be too much high-end which leaves the album sounding a bit noisy & less precise. There seems to be a wall of crash cymbal throughout pretty much the entire album & the guitars are not as full as on previous albums. There is also very little variety in the vocals & it might be time to introduce something different there. That pretty much sums up the album really. A couple of Meshuggah's previous albums have been carried by the complexity & technicality of the song structures & riffs. "ObZen" is probably a little less complex than their recent releases which should help them recreate this stuff live. But this also takes away from the element that carried my interest during more monotonous periods on albums like "Catch Thirty Three".   

Overall, Meshuggah are still a fair distance above 99% of the metal scene (see "Bleed" which is as good a track as the band have ever recorded) & therefore I find it very difficult to give them a rating of less than 4 stars for such sublime metal music. However I think this will be the last time that I can justify giving a four-star rating to Meshuggah albums without them adding something new to their sound. Dazzle me guys!

My mother always taught me that if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all.

Tool's debut E.P. has never been a regular playlist inclusion for me. I've always loved albums like "Aenima" & "Lateralus" but in my opinion this little release struggles to stand up in such exclusive company. It's clear from the start that the band has real talent but that's not really in question. Maynard certainly has an amazing voice & all of the band members are more than capable but the songwriting & atmosphere just isn't quite there yet. Also the production on the studio tracks is very weak which leaves them sounding a bit flat. The guitar really needs to be much more in-your-face. In fact there's an immediate jump in energy when the two live recordings come on as they have a heavier production & are subsequently much more effective. "Cold & Ugly" is probably my favourite track on the E.P. although "Jerk-Off" is pretty close behind. None of the studio tracks really grab me. "Opiate" also includes a silly hidden track called "The Gaping Lotus Experience"  which is simply the band mucking around in the studio with their tongues firmly in their cheeks. It might have been fun to record however I fail to see how it adds any value to the end-user. Hidden tracks are a pet hate of mine. If the song isn't good enough to make the proper album then it shouldn't be included as all it does is devalue the rest of the material.  

Ultimately "Opiate" is a snapshot of an already very decent rock/metal band that is still finding their sound. Given a better production these songs could have offered much more than they do in their current form but Tool still had some work to do before they would produce anything truly special.

Having waited out the long five year sleep between albums I was feeling quite excited about the release of Tool’s 2006 album “10,000 Days”. Each of Tool’s records to that time had shown off  a remarkable improvement on the previous one & given that 2001’s “Lateralus” had made such a huge impact on me I was ready to be blown away all over again. I wondered just where they could take their sound as I had a feeling they may have taken it as far as it could go with “Lateralus ” so a change-up was definitely on the cards.  

What we got was not really a change-up though. In fact it seemed to me to be an attempt to take the “Lateralus” sound even further. It’s a long album with extended track lengths & atmospheric passages but it most certainly sounds like the Tool we’d all come to know & love. Only it’s a more introspective record than anything the band had previously released as they elect to take the listener on long tension-filled journeys before picking their moment to strike. There aren’t the enormous highlights we’ve come to expect from Tool but there is an impressive consistency to this material & I can’t say that there are any disappointing tracks here.  

For the most part it works beautifully but it’s not without its challenges. It’s a very ambitious record that tip-toes along the edge of self-indulgence at times. “Wings Of Marie” (Pt 1)” is a good example of this. It’s not a bad track on its own but it’s followed immediately by the eleven minute epic “10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)” which treads much of the same ground while expanding on it substantially so although it may fit the concept it seems a little bit of an unnecessary inclusion to me. The more up-front rockers like “The Pot” & album highlight “Vicarious” are where the band sounds most comfortable & are subsequently the most memorable moments although brooding builder “Right In Two” is also quite brilliant. The scope, vision & execution of epic tracks like "Rosetta Stoned" is highly impressive although it's debatable whether the songs would have been better suited to a shorter format on occasions. The rhythm section is unbelievable as usual with drummer Danny Carey putting in a truly stellar display. Even Tool’s often misguided use of ambient interludes seems to be used fairly effectively to break up an otherwise fairly long album.  

“10,000 Days” is not the masterpiece that “Aenima” or “Lateralus” were but it’s still a very solid & often overlooked Tool record. In fact its overall consistency gives it a very slight edge over their debut “Undertow” for mine.  It’s worth noting that it requires a reasonable commitment from the listener before opening up many of its charms but the effort is unquestionably rewarding. Although I was hoping they’d take things a little further with this one I find it hard to be disappointed with the result.

When I first heard this release back in 1996 I was very disappointed. Slayer was my all-time favourite band & they'd never failed me before but this time I was left feeling empty. In time I've come to find it a little more appealing but I don't think it's ever going to get regular revisits. Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad hardcore punk record. The Slayer sound & production works quite well & there's plenty of energy. Tom Araya's vocal style really suits the material too but ultimately I'm just not a fan of the hardcore punk genre. I listen to Slayer to experience the pinnacle of metal so this album was always going to be fighting a losing battle with me. Closing track "Gemini" is the only true Slayer material included & while it's a pretty decent song it also sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the stuff on offer so I have to question why they chose to include it at all. "Undisputed Attitude" will certainly appeal to hardcore punk fans as these guys really know what they're doing but if you're looking for that classic Slayer sound you may want to look elsewhere.

There's not much to like about this release. A thin production, very poor musicianship & terrible clean vocals are all contributing factors in an unpleasant listening experience. The orchestral interludes are well done but the black metal material is very amateurish. I tried really hard to like it after reading the recent reviews but I guess I just don't get it. Each to their own. 

Another very overrated release from Negura Bunget which is thankfully a bit better than the "Vîrstele Pămîntului" release which coincided with this one. However it is still quite flawed in many of the same ways. This release is a re-recording of their 2000 album of the same title with a couple of extra acoustic tracks thrown in.  It features a more pure black metal sound with less of the folk metal influence apparent on their recent material. The song structures are extremely pieced together & never really allow the music to flow. I've noticed this a lot in black metal this year. It seems that there is very little attention put in to the transitions between riffs these days. The musicianship is also found to be fairly pedestrian at times. I certainly don't share the admiration for the drumming that some others have expressed. They are so far back in the mix that I find myself wondering whether they even exist at times. The vocals are also not done any favours by the mix either as they are off in the background for the most part. There are some very good moments when the band decide to give their mid-pace riffs some breathing space but these moments are quickly swallowed up by sudden transitions & I find that I there is probably not a single track that I like in it's entirety. In my opinion this is clearly the most overrated metal band on RYM at the moment. 

1992’s “Countdown To Extinction” is a record that I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand it signifies the end of Megadeth’s days as a thrash metal band. I’d been a fan of the band for around six years by that stage & the idea of Megadeth moving to a more song-writing focused traditional heavy metal sound was not an idea that I was terribly thrilled about. On the other hand it ended up being a pretty decent heavy metal album & it was hard to deny that I enjoyed it. Having said that I couldn’t say that I liked it as much as their previous three albums so there was still that hint of disappointment in the back of my mind. Subsequently when it came time for the release of their follow-up album two years later my interest had waned somewhat. I gave the record a couple of listens regardless & soon discovered that the band had progressed even further away from their thrash metal roots. This didn’t sit well with me so I didn’t really give it the time that it needed to open up.  

Revisiting “Youthanasia” now has been a very different experience. I’ve matured a lot & have a much more diverse taste in music these days so I wanted to give it a proper chance to show me what it had to offer this time. To be fair it seems like a logical progression from “Countdown To Extinction”. The band shows a little more restraint & presents a clear focus on song-writing over energy & technicality. There’s a lot more space than Megadeth have ever shown before. The drumming is very basic & stripped back which was initially a struggle for me while I became acquainted with the songs. Dave Ellefson’s bass lines aren’t as prominent as they were in the past either. The song structures are much more traditional than their more progressive & adventurous thrash material & the riffs tend to take a back seat while the vocal hooks carry the spotlight. This is aided by a clean production job that presents the songs in a very accessible & palatable form. Marty Friedman seems to relish the new-found space & his solos are a definite highlight for me. The guy has such beautiful & exotic style that’s as memorable as it is technically flawless. I don’t think Dave Mustaine’s vocals suit this less intense metal sound as much as they did the thrashier stuff. He does sound a bit whiney at times but I can certainly deal with it when the song-writing is of this high a quality.  

The album doesn’t really hit you the first time around but the hooks definitely start to sink in on repeat listens. There are some really anthemic choruses on there & I struggled to get them out of my head for days afterwards. The highlights aren’t as huge as those on Megadeth’s classic albums but there’s a consistency that they’ve struggled to achieve at times. There aren’t any real clangers here. In fact two thirds of the album is really very good. The other third is not horrible but it doesn’t quite get to where I’d like it to. “Blood Of Heroes” & “Black Curtains” are probably the weakest links but I’m not a huge fan of “Train Of Consquences” or “The Killing Road” either. Everything else is pretty entertaining really. Each song has an addictive singalong chorus without overdoing the cheese factor at any point. Strangely enough my favourite track ended up being the most commercial one which was quite a shock to me. “A tout le monde” is pretty much a power ballad but the chorus has an amazing hook that I struggled to shake. The gimmicky closing track “Victory” with its lyrics that include the song titles of loads of Megadeth’s old material was also a standout.  

“Youthanasia” ended up being a very simple but surprisingly entertaining listen that deserves a lot more respect than I gave it back in the day. It’s not the most challenging or impressive Megadeth album but it makes up for that with some quality song-writing. I can see myself revisiting it on occasion.

My initial experience with “Wretch” was way back in the early 1990’s. I’d just gotten into their follow-up album “Blues For The Red Sun” & I wanted to hear what Kyuss’ earlier material had to offer. In truth I don’t recall a lot of that experience & going into this revisit I wasn’t entirely sure as to why I hadn’t returned to the album in the decades that had elapsed since. I guess that fact alone gave a strong indication as to why really. Plus the rest of the band’s discography was so strong that anything subpar was always going to be overlooked in favour of a superior product.  

The self-titled Sons Of Kyuss album did very little for me. It suffered from poor production & execution & it didn’t really indicate that the band had anything special to offer. The common feeling seems to be that “Wretch” suffered from similar production problems but I don’t feel they’re as severe. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the sound is ideal but it’s not unsuitable for this type of music & it gives everything a real live feel so I can deal with it pretty comfortably. The rhythm section gives the songs a solid backbone from which to work off without ever really challenging the listener. I wasn’t a fan of guitarist Josh Homme’s performance on “Sons Of Kyuss” & although he’s a little more convincing here he still had a bit of work to do with regards to technique & overall tightness. The guitar sound is still pretty sloppy but it’s definitely better than the one of “Sons Of Kyuss”. The big improver though is vocalist John Garcia who was really coming into his own by this stage. He showed promise on “Sons Of Kyuss” but this time he commands the listeners attention & is the clear focal point of the band. It’s his performance that draws me to the best moments on the album.  

“Wretch” includes five re-recorded versions of songs that originally featured on the “Sons Of Kyuss” record. I didn’t really get into any of those songs in their initial formats to be honest & “Love Has Passed Me By” & “Katzenjammer” don’t do much more for me on this occasion. The newer versions of “Deadly Kiss” & “Isolation” sound a bit better than the originals but the songs still aren’t quite good enough to keep my interest. “Black Widow” is the real standout from  the older material. It was probably the strongest of the five to begin with but it sounds much better with this production & is one of the better tracks overall. Of the new material “Son Of A Bitch” is an absolute monster & is the clear highlight of the album. John’s vocals are just so bad-ass that I can’t help but to scream along with him. I’ve seen Kyuss live on a number of occasions over the years & I’m disappointed to say that I’ve never seen them play this song because I’m certain it would be an absolute beast in a live environment.  “The Law”, “I’m Not” & “Stage III” are all quite enjoyable too but for every decent track here there is another flatter one like “Big Bikes” or “(Beginning Of What’s About To Happen)/Hwy 74”. There’s nothing too horrible but there’s a distinct lack of consistency across the tracklisting.  

I really like parts of “Wretch”. It clearly shows a band with potential. It just seems like a bit of a clean-out of their older material to me. I think perhaps it might have been wiser to leave the old songs in the past & to hold off on recording a new release until they had a full album worth of fresh material. Overall “Wretch” shows good promise for the future without possessing the consistency to draw the listener back for repeat listens.

Given that I found a fair bit of enjoyment in 2006's "Christ Illusion" & 2001's "God Hates Us All" I was politely optimistic about Slayer's 2009 release "World Painted Blood". I had heard that Slayer were perhaps steering away from the nu-metal & groove metal influences that had crept into their repertoire in recent times & had put together an album more faithful to the band's legacy & this was music to my ears. "Christ Illusion" had headed further in that direction than the previous couple of albums but also had a habit of heading off course.  

The first thing I notice about "World Painted Blood" is the dry & sloppy production. It's very disappointing & doesn't give the songs a chance to really shine. I honestly think the album may been a much more enticing prospect with a decent production job & it's particularly noticeable on faster numbers where the rhythm guitar sound becomes quite messy. Stylistically there is certainly a lot of the trademark Slayer elements at play however there also seems to be quite a bit of self plagiarism going on with very little new ground being trodden. Kerry & Jeff's guitar solos are a good example of this as they have played these solos a thousand times before & generally much better too. Still... it's good to hear Slayer doing Slayer I guess.  

Unfortunately the quality of the material is also pretty inconsistent. There are a couple of belters in "Psychopathy Red" & album highlight "Beauty Through Order". Given a better production I suspect that these two tracks probably wouldn't have sounded too out of place next to some of Slayer's classic albums. Others like "World Painted Blood", "Hate Worldwide", "Public Display Of Dismemberment" & "Playing With Dolls" have a fair bit to offer as well without quite reaching that level. The remainder of the album is pretty weak with the horrible "Americon" being the low point followed by "Human Strain" & "Not Of This God". There are also some obvious attempts at revisiting the frantic thrashfests of their first few albums but they inevitably end up sounding a bit average in comparison (see "Unit 731" & "Snuff").  

It's really quite a disappointing album due to the fact that the ingredients are all there yet the execution is so poor. Of course there will always be some good stuff on a Slayer record but I simply expect more than this. The quality control seems to have been overlooked & I'm left feeling uncertain as to whether Slayer will ever release something memorable again. With a new album in the works I imagine we will soon see.

I haven't heard Dark Tranquility in probably 10 years but they sound exactly the same. And I mean EXACTLY! Which is why this album went by without leaving much of an impression on me at all. If anything it's a bit more lightweight than I remember. I'm sure this album will be just as successful as all of their other albums however it won't be grabbing them many new fans. Nothing to see here! Move along people!

1995’s “The X Factor” was nothing short of a complete disaster for Iron Maiden. They really needed to get off to a flying start with new vocalist Blaze Bayley but not only was his performance very ordinary but the band seemed to completely lose their direction & song-writing ability. It was really quite amazing. I couldn’t have imagined the band could descend to such a low point so quickly. Subsequently when it came to the follow-up (with Bayley still behind the mike) I was not exactly expecting miracles.  

And I’m glad I didn’t alright because “Virtual XI” is about as far from a miraculous return to form as you can possibly get. I didn’t imagine that there was any way that they could put out something worse than “The X Factor” but if that was their goal then they succeeded with flying colours. There is so much wrong with this record that I don’t even know where to begin. Why don’t we start with the production which is nothing short of dreadful. How a band of the stature of Iron Maiden can release something that sounds so bad is beyond me. I can only assume that they sent the wrong masters to the manufacturers & didn’t discover their error before it was too late. Then we have another pedestrian vocal performance by Bayley who is quite simply not up to the job of singing for Iron Maiden. It was never gonna work. On top of that you add some of the poorest song-writing I’ve ever heard from a major metal band & you've got a complete clanger of an album.  

Opener “Futureal” is very much in the format of your classic Maiden opening track. It’s a driving, galloping call to arms that reminds you of past openers like “Tailgunner”. Unfortunately it’s well below par & the production doesn’t help but you can see what they were trying to do. Then there’s “The Clansman” which is an attempt to revisit their more epic direction & you can imagine that it might actually sound good with a decent sound & Bruce on vocals but in its current format it just doesn’t cut the mustard. The rest of the album is a total abortion. “The Angel & The Gambler” (which sounds fars too much like Status Quo for its own good) & “Don’t Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger” are horrible songs as it is without needlessly extending them with Blaze repeating the same line over & over & over again. The chorus of “Lightning Strikes Twice” is unbelievably crap. There are obscure synth stab sounds at various times throughout the album that seem totally out of place. Closing ballad “Como estais amigos” may be the cheesiest & weakest thing the band has ever done. I can keep going too. It’s really that bad.  

“Virtual XI” is quite easily one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard from a major metal band. I truly struggle to see why anyone would bother with it when there is so much great music out there. At least things could only get better from here though I suppose.

I had some high expectations for this album as Cult Of Luna have always been consistent & “Vertikal” hasn’t let me down at all. I recently revisited 2006’s “Something Along The Highway” & enjoyed it quite a bit but this one has definitely got a darker, heavier feel which really appeals to me. This can be directly attributed to the band’s conscious effort to focus on thematic content similar to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” & it’s really quite noticeable. The production is top notch & helps to present the themes nicely. It’s interesting to note that this release is the first not to feature the vocals of founding member Klas Rydberg. I honestly wouldn’t have noticed had I not read this in an online review but I’ve since found myself enjoying the vocals more than on past COL albums. Johannes Persson’s performance seems less grating & quite powerful.  

Stylistically Cult Of Luna haven’t made any major departures from the sound they are known for but they have taken a few risks with varying degrees of success. For example, “Vicarious Redemption” features the use of a dubstep bassline & a house beat at one stage while “Synchronicity” takes an industrial direction & is clearly influenced by early Godflesh. There is also a stronger integration of electronics than on past releases which helps to promote the industrial/urban themes. These flashes of experimentation don’t alter the signature Cult Of Luna sound too drastically but they certainly add a level of interest to a band that has at times hit flat periods during their more atmospheric & experimental moments. The album highlight is undoubtedly the epic “In Awe Of” which is a realization of everything that COL do well while haunting closer “Passing Through” leaves me wanting to experience the whole thing all over again.  

As with all good post-metal “Vertikal” requires your full attention & multiple listens to open up. I will definitely be checking out the “Vertikal II” E.P. which features other material from these sessions as this is a focused & impressive release from a really professional outfit.

2004’s “The System Has Failed” was a step in the right direction for Megadeth. It saw the band actively concentrating on a more heavy metal oriented direction rather than the cheesy pop metal material that had plagued the previous couple of albums & it featured a decidedly heavier production to match. Former lead guitarist Chris Poland had returned to contribute some solos which was also of great interest to me personally. Unfortunately the quality of the song-writing was still too inconsistent to make the album a rewarding experience. It felt like a bit of a chore to sift through all of the filler in order to find the hidden gems & Chris’ contributions were surprisingly a bit of a disappointment given the quality of his performances on the first two Megadeth albums. Although “The System Has Failed” avoided the global panning that it’s two predecessors received it also failed to instil much confidence in future releases.  

2007’s “United Abominations” may have featured an all-new lineup but it was immediately obvious that the plan had stayed pretty much the same. It’s a pretty similar sort of record with a few notable enhancements. Firstly the production has been improved & it really allows the songs the chance to shine. There's also slightly less of the more commercially driven material that was hanging around on “The System Has Failed” & the album is a bit heavier overall. Guitar solos had been given more & more time over the previous couple of albums & that trend had continued with new guitarist Glen Drover’s lead work being the highlight of the album for mine. His tone is sensational & he takes a really flashy approach that I find quite exciting. Particularly towards the end of the album. The new rhythm section of James LoMenzo & Shawn Drover do a very solid job & are helped out by the lovely sounding production. Dave Mustaine’s riffing gives more than the odd hint towards his thrash metal heyday & he also gives us a pretty standard post-1990 vocal delivery that gets the job done without ever touching the angst-ridden aggression of his 80’s material.  

There are still some weaker tracks here but I find “United Abominations” to be a bit more consistent than the previous four albums. The second half of the record is particularly solid. Surprisingly Dave decided it would be a good idea to re-record “A tout le monde” (which was my favourite track from his 1994’s “Youthanasia” album) with the addition of Lacuna Coil vocalist Cristina Scabbia. The concept had sellout written all over it but I have to admit that the result reminds me of just why I loved the original & I ended up finding it to be one of my album highlights (along with the aggressive “You’re Dead”). Thrashy opener “Sleepwalker” & shredding closer “Burnt Ice” are also pretty impressive. Where “United Abominations” is let down a little bit though is in the first half with tracks like “Gears Of War” & the title track sounding pretty flat & lacking memorability.  

“United Abominations” is a long way from perfect but it certainly exceeded my expectations for a modern day Megadeth album. Not only can it can be seen as a further step in the right direction but it is genuinely worth a listen. Strangely it seems to be a little underrated so I encourage you to make the decision for yourself.

I honestly wasn’t expecting much when I gave this album its first spin. I vaguely recalled being fairly unimpressed with their 2011 album “Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand” & found Alan’s vocals to be intolerable on the “All Empires Fall” DVD. My only other experience with Primordial was way back in the mid-1990’s & I think those brain cells are long gone by now. I must admit that the “folk metal” tag I’d seen them branded with recently was a very scary term for me but reliable sources had informed me that it was misguided & had highly recommended this release. The outcome is that I’m really glad that I gave this a chance because “To The Nameless Dead” is an outstanding metal album that utilizes Celtic metal & Pagan black metal to create a fresh sound all of their own.   

The opening three tracks are absolutely killer & I find Alan’s vocals to be much more enjoyable than on the live DVD. In fact the vocal hooks are quite memorable & are one of the album’s major draw cards. “Failures Burden” & “Heathen Tribes” are not quite as strong as the earlier tracks but the last couple of songs really bring it home nicely. The production has a warm & organic style that really suits the band & helps them to maintain an epic feel that draws on the spirit of early 90’s Bathory without really sounding like them that much. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Primordial’s material based on this effort. 

I loved Bolt Thrower back in the day but have never checked out their post-90’s material until now. I admit that I came in with the preconceived expectation that “Those Once Loyal” was going to sound exactly as they did in their 90’s heyday but that only ended up being partially true. The first thing I noticed was the inclusion of quite a few riffs that would fit more comfortably on a groove metal or nu-metal release than a death metal one. There's even a couple that remind me of early Amorphis. I know that sounds a bit unappealing but it actually works quite well in this context. I think the simplicity of Bolt Thrower’s trademark mid-paced drum beats, their solid song-writing skills & the overall tightness of the band combine to prevent these stylistic departures from sounding out of place. I won’t go so far as to say that I love all of these moments but they are definitely not off-putting. There are certainly enough of their standard tremolo-picked bottom-string riffs with driving double-kick drumming on offer to satisfy the old-school fans too. Vocally Karl hasn’t changed in the slightest. His style is still fairly limited but is generally effective & suits the atmosphere nicely. I enjoyed Jo’s bass lines quite a bit. She threw in some nice inventive licks here & there that made for a more interesting listen. The rhythm section does a stellar job really.  

Overall I really enjoyed the album but I don’t think it reaches the heights of their classic albums. The small changes in riff style were probably necessary to keep the band relevant in the current market but they don’t appeal to me quite as much as the more memorable melodic moments of the past. There are some belters like “Those Once Loyal” & “Anti-Tank (Dead Armour)” mixed in with some less effective tracks but generally Bolt Thrower can be relied upon to dish out a quality product & “Those Once Loyal” is no exception.

The golden touch Iron Maiden seemed to have throughout the 1980’s had certainly tailed off a bit through the early 90’s but I was still able to find plenty of enjoyment in “No Prayer For The Dying” & “Fear Of The Dark”. The signs were there that the band still had what it took to create high quality metal music but the consistency wasn’t there. However once the legendary Bruce Dickinson moved on it became a whole new proposition. There was certainly some doubt as to whether the band could effectively replace Bruce & hit the ground running without any further loss of momentum. I’m not generally one to get too tied up in lineup debates. I just want to hear good music & couldn’t care less who produces it so I genuinely wanted to like whatever Maiden dished up for me. Unfortunately they made it extremely difficult for me to do that.  

I’ve read many people’s views on vocalist Blaze Bayley’s performance & overall suitability for Iron Maiden over the years. Some have indicated that he ruined what would have otherwise been a couple of pretty decent Maiden albums however I can assure you that this is not the case. The music on “The X Factor” is just as disappointing as the vocals. Blaze’s performance is certainly subpar. There is no question about it. He struggles with the material which leaves him sounding quite forced & unprofessional. He regularly misses notes & is generally pitchy throughout the album. Even if that were not the case his style simply doesn’t suit Iron Maiden & he was a poor choice of replacement in my opinion. When you add what was easily the most uninspired group of tracks of Maiden’s career to that time then you have somewhat of a disaster.  

It becomes obvious very quickly that things are not quite right as the first three tracks are all very disappointing. Amazingly the quality descends a lot further from there though with horrible efforts like “Fortunes Of War”, “Look For The Truth” & “Judgement Of Heaven” being the weakest the band had ever recorded. The previous couple of albums had included some tracks that sounded rushed & pieced together but “The X Factor” took this to another level with material like “The Unbeliever” falling a long way short of sounding cohesive. The overall energy level is low & many of these overlong tracks sound very ploddy & dull. “Man On The Edge” & “2 A.M.” are probably the closest they come to putting together anything memorable but even they sound a bit flat & stale.  

Experiencing “The X Factor” for the first time is quite a shock for someone who was brought up on classic 80’s Maiden. I simply didn’t think they were capable of releasing something so wide of the mark. Blaze cops a lot of the flack for it but in fairness his vocals are only a part of the problem. I seriously doubt one of Bruce’s best performances could have resurrected this one.

his is such an original & consistently brilliant record. Every musician contributes with amazing performances & the song-writing is simply wonderful. Jim Martin bangs out some of the most epic metal riffs ever. Mike Patton leads from the front beautifully too. It's a real testament to the bands skills that they can present so much variety without ever dipping in quality. "Underwater Love" is probably the only track that I don't absolutely love but it's still a pretty catchy tune. I think "Surprise! You're Dead!" may be one of my all-time favourite tracks. I get tingles up my whole body every time. Possibly my favourite FNM album these days. 

A really promising record that was let down by a thin production. The guitar sound is the main area of concern. The vocals are excellent throughout. There's some really great melodic death metal riffs in the first half in particular. The song-writing is high quality but not as memorable as the previous album. Much like "The Gallery" the later songs are not as strong as the early ones. One feels that a decent production could have opened these songs up a lot more.

This is certainly worth a look for fans of Katatonia. The video clips are decent without really providing anything to enhance the music but the music on display here is all very solid. "The Longest Year" is still the clear highlight & I am sure it's vocal themes will continue to penetrate my brain for quite some time yet. But I enjoyed most of the other material here too with the exception of "Idle Blood (Linje 14)" which is a bit lightweight for my taste. The production is excellent as expected. I see these tracks as growers that will gradually dig their hooks into you. Is it just me or does Jonas Renkse sound an aweful lot like Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) these days? Maybe that's why I like them so much.

I wasn’t overly excited when I gave Iron Maiden’s 2006 release “A Matter Of Life & Death” its first spin. Three of the previous four albums had been disappointing so I was a little cautious & reluctant to expect too much. Luckily my perseverance paid off & I ended up enjoying “A Matter Of Life & Death” as much as anything the band have released since the 80’s. It certainly had its flaws but there was a consistent quality that kept me interested throughout. The production needed to be stronger to take it to the next level but the song-writing & performances were certainly there. So when I eventually got around to giving “The Final Frontier” its first spin I was hoping to see Maiden build off the solid platform they’d set with the previous album.  

Maiden’s track record with production has been very poor since their classic 80’s period but I was happy to hear a better result on this occasion. There’s still room for improvement but the guitars sound fuller which creates a bigger soundscape than recent efforts. The lengthy track durations of “A Matter Of Life & Death” are still evident here with most songs comfortably breaching the 5 minute mark. The album is also very long as a whole. Its 76 minute run time is pushing the limits of the CD technology & can be quite a chore until you gain some familiarity with the songs.  

Not a lot has changed from a stylistic point of view. The sound Iron Maiden are championing here is probably not quite as progressive a sound as that of “A Matter Of Life & Death” but there are still plenty of reasonably lengthy instrumental & atmospheric sections. A few of the tracks are very wordy from a vocal point of view. It seems to me that the messages were quite important to the band on this occasion. Bruce Dickinson had made a strong comeback on “A Matter Of Life & Death” after an inconsistent performance on “Dance Of Death” but here there are a few moments that are less than perfect. His high register range seems to be lacking the confidence that it once had. I don’t think it’s a major problem for me as he’s rarely out of key but you can hear him straining to reach those higher notes on occasion when he used to do it so effortlessly. Admittedly Bruce’s lower register seems to be as strong as ever.  

The last two Maiden albums have surprisingly included some fairly poor opening tracks. Given that this was an area that the band had always prided themselves on I was hoping for a dramatic improvement here. And boy did I get one! “Satellite 15” is probably the freshest sounding thing Maiden have released in a long time. In fact it’s clearly the best track on the album in my opinion. It features a dark brooding atmosphere that’s high on tension & drama. There is a noticeable futuristic quality to it & it’s a shame the band didn’t explore this sound further. Strangely this track is tacked onto the title track which is clearly a separate & wildly different sounding song. I’m guessing there’s some sort of lyrical link between them but it makes no sense whatsoever from a purely musical point of view. The rest of the album is made up by more traditional sounding Iron Maiden material. “El Dorado”, “Mother Of Mercy”, “Isle Of Avalon”, “Starblind” & “The Talisman” are all very solid metal tunes with those catchy choruses digging their teeth in after a couple of listens. There’s a lot to take in on some of the lengthier tracks but they open up quite a bit with repeat listens. The album unfortunately includes a few weaker tracks too though. “The Alchemist” is a pretty dull song that seems quite simple & sounds a bit dated to my ears. The album really peters out at the end too with the decidedly average “The Man Who Would Be King” & the downright horrible eleven minutes of “When The Wild Wind Blows” closing things out. This is a real shame because there was plenty to like about “The Final Frontier” up until that point.  

I was pleased to see that Maiden were able to follow on from the surprisingly good “A Matter Of Life & Death” with a pretty decent record here. I don’t think it’s quite the album that its predecessor was but it’s not far off. I think they’ve just been a little overambitious. A 76 minute album can be a bit of a chore to sit through & I could definitely have done without the last couple of tracks. “When The Wild Wind Blows” certainly taints my overall enjoyment of the album as it’s a very cheesy, badly structured & overly lengthy way to close out proceedings. I think “The Final Frontier” had the potential to sit alongside “Brave New World” & “A Matter Of Life & Death” but as it is I think it sits just slightly behind them in terms of consistent quality.

I'm generally not much of a fan of power metal but this album has really gotten under my skin. The production & performances are outstanding & vocalist Roy Khan is an amazing talent. "March Of Mephisto", "When The Lights Are Down", "The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)" & "The Black Halo" are all five star belters with loads of hooks that'll have you singing the choruses in your head for days afterwards. There are some cheesier moments but none of the weaker material has a major impact on my overall enjoyment levels as there aren't really any genuine duds here. There seems to be a strong Dream Theater influence in the band's sound & that can't be a bad thing as far as I'm concerned. It's not overly technical though. It's more in the atmosphere & melodic structure. At the end of the day there can be very little doubt that this is a high quality melodic metal record that could possibly be my new favourite power metal album.

For fans of Dream Theater, Avantasia & Sonata Arctica.

To be honest I find it a little difficult to provide an unbiased review of this release as it was the very first thrash metal CD I ever purchased & I have quite a strong emotional attachment to it. Regardless, I don't think I'm out of line in feeling that it's an essential part of any Metallica fan's collection. I'm not generally much of a fan of the cover version. They're so rarely executed in a way that offers something fresh & new but also does the original version justice. However I'm very pleased to say that this EP is one of the few exceptions. In fact I'd probably say I enjoy it more than anything Metallica have released since the 80's.  

The first two tracks are absolute rippers. Opener "Helpless" is a pretty faithful rendition of Diamond Head's original but done in a more thrashy & exciting style that I actually prefer. It wouldn't be out of place on an album like "Kill 'Em All" to be honest. "Helpless" is followed by a reworking of Holocaust's "The Small Hours" which is the highlight of the EP in my opinion. It has an eerie atmosphere that sounds new to Metallica but also sounds quite natural. The original was only ever released on an obscure live album so this one might as well be Metallica's own. The cover of Killing Joke's "The Wait" wasn't included on some versions of the EP but it was on mine. Lucky for me really as it's a very solid & much more metal version that easily tops the original. I probably prefer Budgie's version of "Crash Course In Brain Surgery" but that's not a huge criticism. Metallica's effort provides a totally different perspective on the original that in retrospect seemed to be crying out for a substantially heavier reworking. Closing track "Last Caress/Green Hell" is a combination of two old Misfits tracks. It's probably the weakest of the five songs included here but I still find it quite enjoyable. I comfortably prefer the "Last Caress" section to the Misfits original but the "Green Hell" section is almost identical to the Misfits song & offers little to improve it.  

"The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited" may only be an EP of cover versions but it offers substantially more bang for buck than that term implies. It not only offers the listener an interesting & entertaining insight into Metallica's musical roots but it's also a damned fine piece of thrash metal. And there is the beauty of it. None of the original pieces would be regarded as thrash metal in any way yet Metallica have somehow managed to remain faithful to the essence of the originals whilst adding enough of their own sound to make the songs instantly identifiable as their own. A fine effort from a little EP that was only ever intended as a stop-gap between albums.

I’ve often seen people refer to “So Far, So Good… So What!” as the weakest of the four albums from Megadeth’s classic thrash metal period but I disagree with that statement. Perhaps I have some sentimental attachment to it as it was both my introduction to the band as well as an important album in awakening me to the joys of extreme metal. Regardless it’s been many years since my last revisit so I feel I have a fresh perspective & am in a better position to make judgements on it now.  

Let’s get it straight out in the open that (much like Megadeth’s debut album “Killing Is My Business… & Business Is Good!”) the production leaves a bit to be desired. The rhythm guitar sound is quite thin, messy & often washed out by effects while the overall layering of the instrumentation generally sounds like the producer had little idea of how a thrash band should be presented. It certainly doesn’t ruin the record for me but there’s not much doubt that this album would have benefited from a more suitable production job.  

Musically “So Far, So Good… So What!” saw Megadeth continue down the path that they’d been so successful with on “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” two years earlier but there’s some further experimentation with more progressive sounds & structures. This was definitely not a band that sounded like everyone else in the scene at the time & it was clear that Dave Mustaine had plenty of ambition with regard to experimentation (especially in the way of song structures). The band had recently replaced their lead guitarist & drummer due to drug problems & to be fair Jeff Young & Chuck Behler did a reasonable job here although I can’t say they are on the same level as the talented Chris Poland & Gar Samuelson. Even though Dave has copped a fair bit of flack for his vocal performances over the years I can honestly say that I really enjoy his efforts on the 80’s records & this one is no different. He sounds genuinely spiteful & aggressive & it really suits both the music & lyrics. As usual the guitar solos are a highlight & show off the bands talent for producing memorable leads that find a nice compromise between melody & technique.  

There’s always been something that’s bugged me about Megadeth. Even during their classic period I’ve always found that each album included a couple of tracks that were noticeably weaker than the rest. It’s for that reason that I’ve never awarded a Megadeth album the full five out of five rating & “So Far, So Good… So What!” is a prime example of what I’m talking about. None of the material is awful but a few of the tracks contribute to a lack of consistency. To be fair the cover version of the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy In The UK” is not a terrible interpretation but it certainly disrupts the flow of the album & sounds very basic in comparison to the far more ambitious original material around it. “Liar” & “502” are also a little flat & lack the sophistication of the bands better songs in my opinion. Luckily those three tracks are all fairly short & the rest of the material included is seriously top notch thrash metal which more than compensates for those inadequacies. Instrumental opener “Into The Lungs Of Hell”, the adventurous “Mary Jane” & epic live favourite “In My Darkest Hour” really show off the class that Megadeth possessed at that time but my personal favourites are “Set The World Afire” & “Hook In Mouth” which best showcase Dave’s aggressive riff mastery & hateful vocal delivery. It says a lot that this stuff still gets me going 26 years later.  

All flaws considered I still really get into this record. My feelings are very similar to how I feel about “Killing Is My Business… & Business Is Good!” however there are more highlights on this one. The weaker moments aren’t quite as poor & the production is not as bad either so I definitely favour it over the debut. Having said that it doesn’t come close to matching Megadeth’s best efforts as “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” & “Rust In Peace” are another step up from here.

1999’s “The Battle Of Los Angeles” album was a good return to form for Rage Against The Machine after their sophomore effort “Evil Empire” had failed to capitalize on the solid groundwork they had set with their impressive self-titled debut earlier that decade. The less ambitious back-to-basics approach worked well & the improved production offered fans a satisfying & well-compiled record filled with plenty of the energetic grooves the band have become renowned for. Strangely I had never actually ventured further than that before now. The fact that this is a covers album would undoubtedly be some of the reason for that as I’ve traditionally never been much of a fan of that particular phenomenon but having recently given the rest of their back catalogue the once over I felt it would be a shame if I didn’t complete the mission.  

What becomes immediately apparent about “Renegades” is that it sounds like a Rage Against the Machine album. This is not a band that is suffering from any sort of identity crisis here. They may have decided to tackle other artists material here but they’ve definitely made a conscious decision to do it their way & I find that a much more appealing prospect than mere emulation. The production is very good & the musicianship is excellent as usual. I honestly don’t think there is much that Rage Against the Machine couldn’t pull off as they’re clearly very accomplished musicians & work off each other very well.   

During my first listen to "Renegades" I tended find myself feeling the record out a bit but things settled down pretty quickly on the second sitting. The tracklisting is not obvious & I find that an attractive quality in a covers album. Rage Against The Machine start with a couple of hip hop numbers & prove themselves to be quite adept at rearranging them into a rock/metal framework. Volume 10’s “Pistolgrip Pump” is particularly effective & is one of the album highlights. Things start to get more diverse from there. I really enjoy the stripped back version of Devo’s “Beautiful World” as it gives the song a completely new atmosphere. It was interesting to find that I recognized the hit singles “Renegades Of Funk” (Afrika Bambaataa) & “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” (Bruce Springsteen) although I previously had no idea that they were not RATM originals which is quite the feather in the bands cap in my opinion. The real highlight for me comes in the form of closing track “Maggie’s Farm”; a lovely reworking of Bob Dylan’s classic folk rock song from 1965. I’m a fan of the original & was intrigued to hear how they reinterpreted it. Certainly not everything the band tried worked as brilliantly though. The punkier numbers like MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams”, Minor Threat’s “In My Eyes” & The Stooges “Down On The Street” did little for me as the band didn’t do as much to rework them & I’m not much of a punk fan to begin with. The Rolling Stones “Street Fighter Man” didn’t quite gel as nicely as I’d like either but they took an interesting direction with it.  

During my first couple of listens I found myself genuinely interested to see what direction the band had taken with each track & was pleasantly surprised on most occasions. As with all covers albums there are some wins & losses here but overall I feel that the wins easily outweigh the losses. They’ve lost none of the bounce & energy that was such a highlight of their best original material & I’d actually go so far as to say that I enjoyed “Renegades” a fair bit more than the disappointing “Evil Empire”. It’s great to hear a band that knows their sound & challenges themselves at the same time. This is definitely worth a few listens for all Rage Against The Machine fans however if you aren’t into their original material then this one probably won’t appeal to you either.

I first encountered Rage Against The Machine in much the same fashion that most of us did i.e. via commercial radio shortly after the release of the “Killing In The Name” single in 1993. They seemed to be the latest commercial rock sensation & I steered well clear of anything that came too close to being commercially acceptable back in those days. This is a shame because RATM have quite a bit to offer a fan of aggressive cutting edge rock & metal like myself. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually gave their debut album a proper listen & I liked what I heard. Terms like “rap metal” can be scary tags at times & in this case I fell into the trap of basing my musical perceptions purely on the genre the band was labelled.  

The first half of the album was like visiting an old friend really. I was clearly very familiar with the songs even though I wasn’t necessarily conscious of it. The various singles had been played repeatedly on TV & radio during my late high school years so it was inevitable that I would pick up a lot of the details. The production is nice & heavy so the mosh sections really deliver. Zack de la Rocha’s vocal delivery is very aggressive too. I particularly enjoy the big climaxes where he really gives it everything. His delivery has enough venom to suitably match the spiteful lyrical content. Musically I’m very impressed as well though. Guitarist Tom Morello’s performance has always been highly celebrated but that’s not the element that really drives Rage Against The Machine in my opinion. It’s the super-tight rhythm section. Those guys are right in sync with each other & they're the ones that are primarily responsible for a lot of the heaviness of this record.   

“Bombtrack”, “Killing In The Name” & “Bullet In The Head” may be extremely popular radio hits but they’re also very solid rock/metal tunes in their own right. There’s really very little to fault about them. The same can be said for lesser known single “Freedom” with its huge crescendo to close out the album. They’re fine examples of a very well defined, produced & executed plan. Strangely though it’s a lesser known song that pushes things to their ultimate extreme. “Settle For Nothing” is not only the heaviest track on the album but it’s also the most effective in my opinion. Its doomy Black Sabbath-style riff & Zack’s emotion-charged & in-your-face performance really get under my skin & I’m not sure this style of music gets much better than this track. There are a couple of flat moments here too though & they come in the form of “Take The Power Back” & “Know Your Enemy”. They aren’t shockers by any stretch of the imagination but they fail to grab my attention much. It’s not surprising that the heavier songs tend to appeal to my tastes a bit more than the groovier ones though.  

“Rage Against The Machine” really surprised me when I first heard it. I wasn’t initially comfortable with the fact that I was enjoying a rap metal outfit but those feelings quickly faded as I realized that the band was not typical of the generic rubbish that the genre is known for. Forget the tags. If you like your music heavy, groove-laden & aggressive with some solid song-writing & very professional performances then “Rage Against The Machine” might just appeal to you.

I found "Ordo Ad Chao" to be a very frustrating record. On the positive side of things you get the long-awaited return of Attila who brings with him a pure darkness that Maniac was never quite able to match. Plus the band have dropped some of the more technical & progressive aspects of the previous couple of releases in favour of a more stripped back, slower & ultimately far more evil sound. It was clearly the darkest atmosphere Mayhem had produced since "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". But then on the other hand (intentionally or not) "Ordo Ad Chao" also sports a truly disastrous old-school production which really does prevent me from fully enjoying what was potentially a landmark release for the genre. You can certainly hear the quality of the music but it's all dragged down by the lack of any brightness & definition in the mix. That issue alone ensures that I'm more likely to put on the previous few Mayhem releases before this one which is disappointing as I can hear so much promise in it. If nothing else "Ordo Ad Chao" hints that Mayhem may still have some epic releases in them yet.

I first experienced Opeth in late 1995 when my younger brother brought home the “Orchid” CD. I think I’d heard a track on a compilation earlier on but that was the first time I sat down & gave them a good listen. My brother quickly became obsessed with this record but I was somewhat more tentative. It certainly didn’t sound like anything else that was being released at the time. It intrigued me & commanded a certain level of respect however I wasn’t sure I was able to turn that into the sort of passion that others were showing for this band.  

“Orchid” is an incredibly ambitious concept for a debut album. And in many ways I feel it was perhaps a bit too much of a stretch for them at this early stage in their career. It takes more than technical ability to write the sort of 10+ minute progressive epics the band had in mind & although they really nailed some elements of their idea I think they also had a lot to learn about composition. The basis of their sound seemed to be quite clearly drawn from the melodic death metal sound that was steadily gaining momentum in Sweden at the time. There is a constant focus on melody throughout the album & many of the riffs are quite complex in a way that reminds me of early Dark Tranquility. However unlike much of the melodeath scene Opeth tended to keep things at mid-tempo with the occasional slower doomy section. This more controlled approach to tempo heavily contributed to the overall atmosphere of the music although I have to admit that it also sounds a little safe to me at times.  

Along with their obvious passion for extreme metal Opeth were already well & truly displaying their love of progressive rock & folk music. The folk elements are very well written & performed for such a young band & I find them to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of “Orchid”. The progressive rock influence is notable for the sheer scope of composition. The five proper songs here all reach or exceed the ten minute mark & making that work proved to be the major obstacle for the band in my opinion. While Opeth appeared to possess a seemingly unlimited quantity of high quality riffs, movements & melodic ideas their ability to put those all together into some sort of workable song structure is questionable. In fact there is really very little repetition or structure to any of the material here. It sounds a lot like the band went through their riff tapes & joined as many good ideas together as possible without really having much idea of how to make them work as songs. They would undoubtedly improve in this area over the next couple of albums but it does tend to make “Orchid” a bit of a jerky experience at times. In my opinion there is easily enough high quality material to have put together a truly great album but it required a less ambitious approach to the song-writing with more repetition & structure. There is a healthy consistency to the material though with every track featuring some great sections offset by some less impressive parts & some jerky transitions. “Under The Weeping Moon” is the track that has always stood out to me as it features some breath-taking moments but there aren’t any weak tracks here. I probably find the three minute piano track “Silhouette” to be the least appealing.  

The production is suitable although the drum sound is a bit dry. Instrumentally there are some very good things going on. The acoustic sections are impeccably performed & the rhythm guitar & bass performances are always interesting as well as being quite accomplished. I find the drumming to be a bit simple in comparison to later works & I would have liked to hear a bit more flash in that department but it isn’t a major problem. Mikael’s death vocals are very effective throughout although his clean vocals need a bit of work at this stage. Probably the main element that I find a bit lacking though is the guitar solos. They’re significantly less accomplished than later works & lack authority.  

Overall “Orchid” is a good start from a band that would go on to bigger & better things. Some of the elements of what makes Opeth great were already firmly in place while others were still in the developmental stages but the talent was plainly obvious. I find it a pretty enjoyable listen but think it’s probably the weakest of their metal albums.

I originally dismissed Summoning as an artist that simply wasn't for me back in the 1990's & haven't given them another chance since but after seeing the positive response to this record I thought it might be time to give them another try.  

My first impression of "Old Mornings Dawn" is that it doesn't sound like your average symphonic black metal band. They use the drum programming as a differentiator in that they don't simply try to mimic a drummer. They use it more like an electronic musician would which opens up a world of potential. Unfortunately these drum sounds are quite out-dated. I had a cheap drum machine in the late 1990's that sounded better than these in my opinion. I also have a background in the techno scene so I find the programming to be pretty simple & primitive in comparison.  

I quite enjoy the vocals & some of the riffs. Each song has some catchy hooks too so I can see why people find Summoning endearing however I have a real aversion to cheesy melodies & there are plenty of those to counteract my overall enjoyment of the album. As with the drums, the synth sounds seem pretty cheap & out-dated to me. The medieval feel of these horn & pan flute lines leaves me cringing a lot of the time. Each time I start to get emotionally engaged one of these melodies will arrive to put me off again.  

Overall this is a frustrating album for me. I can see it's a good example of it's type & I enjoy the fact that it doesn't sound like everyone else. There are some elements that I really like about almost every song however I can never really get comfortable with it due to the medieval cheese factor. I honestly think that I have a problem with Summoning on a conceptual level as much as anything. If I'm honest with myself I really don't want my black metal to sound like this. I like a much darker & more tense style & I can't really relate to the atmosphere Summoning work with a lot of the time.

This is certainly the weakest of Ulcerate's five albums however it's still got a bit to offer. They'd yet to fully incorporate the dissonant post-metal influence that makes up such a big part of their sound these days & here you'll find them following a more traditional tech/brutal death metal blueprint instead. There's definitely no shortage of complexity. Jamie's drumming is a highlight as usual & the production is pretty decent. There are some very good moments but also some where they get too big for their boots & things start to sound pretty messy. The stop/start nature of the song structures & the heavy emphasis on technicality makes the album lack a bit in the memorability department. It's generally faster than subsequent releases but doesn't quite match them for atmosphere. Worth a listen but not essential.

I can distinctly remember the first time I heard Iron Maiden. It was 1988 & I was a 12 year-old kid on holidays with my parents in Bali. My younger brother & I picked up some bootleg cassettes of “Live After Death”, “Somewhere In Time” & “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” after having heard about the band through school mates & being intrigued by the cover art. The energy & excitement of the music captured us very quickly & Maiden immediately became a huge part of our lives. By the end of that year I had discovered the even more intense sounds of extreme metal but my love of Iron Maiden transcended genre & I would continue to follow their progress for a number of years afterwards.  

Maiden’s first new release since my conversion was 1990’s “No Prayer For The Dying”. That year again saw my family travel to Bali for a holiday & once more I picked up the album on bootleg cassette. Initial listens left me feeling satisfied but not as enthusiastic as I had been for the rest of Iron Maiden’s  discography which I was well & truly familiar with by that stage. The more epic & progressive feel of the last couple of albums had been dropped & the band seemed to have gone back to their roots somewhat. The overall sound was weighted more towards their first couple of NWOBHM albums with shorter track lengths & some simpler rockier songs. You can also notice that Bruce tries a more aggressive approach to his vocals at times which I personally don’t mind but overall his performance is not quite up to the high standard of previous albums. At the time I think I preferred Maiden’s more progressive sound but I kept an open mind & repeat listens found me getting a fair bit enjoyment out of “No Prayer For The Dying”.  

The first half of the album is actually very good. They open with my personal favourite “Tailgunner” which sounds to me to be a clear sequel to “Powerslave”s “Aces High”. It’s got that classic Maiden gallop with Steve Harris’ charging bass lines & an anthemic chorus that acts as a call to arms of sorts. This is followed by a catchy little number by the name of “Holy Smoke” which was an obviously more simple track that seems to have been intentionally tailored  for commercial success. (In fact it eventually went to number one on the UK charts.) Thankfully it’s actually quite a memorable song with some very effective hooks. The heavier & more driving tracks like “Public Enema Number One” & “Fates Warning” tend to appeal to me more though. They both present all the elements of classic Iron Maiden.  The title track is very effective too & it’s as close as the band come to the more epic atmosphere of recent times.  

Unfortunately the second half of the album shows a dramatic decline in quality. “Run Silent Run Deep” is the first track that I find to be a bit flat but things descend further after that. “Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter” & “Hooks In You” follow a similar path to “Holy Smoke” in that they are both fairly simple & possess an obviously rockier edge. Whereas “Holy Smoke” has an addictive quality that allowed me to see past its more commercial direction these two come across as quite cheesy & lack the depth of the band’s legacy. The final track “Mother Russia” appears to be an attempt to create the sort of epic closer the band had become renowned for but it just doesn’t work for me at all. It sounds very forced & brings the album to an unimpressive end.  

Listening back now I do quite like “No Prayer For The Dying”. It’s obviously extremely top heavy & the more radio friendly tracks tend to be hit & miss. But in saying that I feel that it’s certainly underrated. It’s not nearly as bad as many people make it out to be. There’s a lot of quality to be found in the first six tracks & it’s unfortunate that level of quality couldn’t be sustained for the rest of the album.